Chapter 7 — Enacting the Secret Treaty

One month later, Zenjirou was seated in the living room in the inner palace, typing out the contents of the secret treaty that his wife was dictating to him.

The seasons had passed, and they had now entered a period that corresponded with spring in Japan. This time of year in Western Randlion was commonly called “the rainy season,” and in keeping with the name was often spent with roughly half a month of continuous cloud cover and over ten days of rain.

It wasn’t the gentle pitter-patter you might imagine from Japan’s seasonal equivalent, either, but an endless downpour. Of course, while there were risks of flooding, the extreme weather also cultured Capua’s greenery as the blessings of the rainfall were left within the ground, so it wasn’t all bad.

Today was no exception, and a torrent of water had been falling from the sky since morning. The winds grew stronger with the changing season, so the windows were boarded up tight. All this meant that despite it being noon, the room was dark enough that it was difficult for Zenjirou to see the keyboard in front of him without some extra light. Of course, he had six LED lamps to stave off the darkness, but that actually gave the impression that nighttime was approaching instead.

“...then, as recompense, the Twin Kingdoms will pay the Kingdom of Capua three thousand silver pieces. That is all. Did you follow everything? I can read it out once more,” Aura offered, having finished reading from the drake parchment in her hand as she lounged in her red maternity dress.

A brief clatter on the keyboard followed her words as Zenjirou remained facing away from her before replying a moment later. “Nah, it’s fine. I... should... have it all. Can I read it back to you to make sure I haven’t missed anything?”

“Very well.”

At his wife’s reply, he adjusted himself atop his chair and began to read the words that he’d just typed out. “Here we go:

“Clause one: Zenjirou Capua (Party A) shall henceforth have children with none other than Aura Capua (Party B).

“Clause two: The Twin Kingdoms shall not intercede in the affairs of Party B’s direct descendants.

“Clause three: should the Kingdom of Capua contravene clause one, and Party A has a child with a person other than Party B, the Twin Kingdoms shall have the right to investigate the lineal magic aptitude of that child (Party C).

“Clause four: should Party C be found to have an aptitude for enchantment magic, they shall reside in the Twin Kingdoms for a period of three years once they reach fifteen years of age.

“Clause five: during this residency, should Party C be forced into exile, the Kingdom of Capua may still welcome Party C back to their own country.

“Clause six: should Party C wish to remain in the Twin Kingdoms of their own accord once the three years have elapsed, the Kingdom of Capua is not permitted to prevent this.

“Clause seven: after Party C’s return, any knowledge that they have acquired during their residency in the Twin Kingdoms may only be shared within the royal family of Capua.

“Clause eight: should the Twin Kingdoms contravene clause two and intercede in the affairs of Party B’s offspring...”

Zenjirou continued to read through the Japanese text on the screen. Put simply, the contract covered his potential offspring and the interference of the Twin Kingdoms in Capuan affairs, placing conditions on those matters from the perspectives of each country.

A brief examination made Zenjirou think that Aura must have put in a great deal of effort to get these agreements in place. Seeing the consequences for breaking the promise that he would not have children with anyone else written out so clearly made him feel that both sides assumed the conditions would not be adhered to. In fact, a significant part of the contract consisted of defining exactly how a child of his with a woman other than Aura—one who could use enchantment magic—would be dealt with.

Zenjirou himself had no intention of sleeping with any other women, and seeing it in writing that their child would not be disadvantaged meant that he didn’t have any real complaints about the endeavor. However, it didn’t mean that he had no misgivings. This secret treaty had around a dozen clauses, and Zenjirou was accustomed to the strict legalese of a modern contract, so it felt rather broad to him. The thought prompted him to turn in his chair and look at his wife.

“What is it, Zenjirou? Do you have any concerns?” she asked, smiling as she sat up slightly.

Her smile lent credence to his gut instinct. Right, both of them probably added “convenient” leeway into the document.

He found it difficult to believe that either party would have failed to notice the holes in a contract that he felt was “broad” after a simple glance when they’d spent over half a year negotiating it.

Zenjirou’s conclusion, however, was an instance of him slightly overestimating the royalty in this world. Aura and her counterparts from the Twin Kingdoms were intelligent men and women who were much more well-versed in the art of negotiation than Zenjirou was, but the customs of this world simply didn’t include defining such agreements in great detail as some countries on Earth tended to do. Zenjirou’s train of thought, where all plausible outcomes and the necessary steps to prevent any related detrimental consequences, was fundamentally alien to them.

Well, whatever; I’m sure Aura or Fabio will say something if there’s a problem.

“Actually, wait a sec, there are some things I want to go over with you,” he said, checking the A4 paper in the tray and sending what he’d just read to the printer.

“Right,” he continued a moment later, plucking up the printout and moving to sit next to his wife.

With her swollen stomach, she couldn’t lean forward. Making sure not to disturb her posture, he held out the translation to accompany the local writing on the drake parchment before offering his thoughts.

“This is the biggest thing. If clauses two and three conflicted in the future...”

Despite her surprise at her husband’s comments on the intricacies of the agreement, she answered him dutifully. “Hmm, yes, then clearly clause two would...”

But Zenjirou wasn’t satisfied with her explanation and followed up. “It’s not specified, though, so if they were to insist...”

“Quite true. It is as you say...”

Their discussion continued until a maid came to inform them that it was time to eat.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The next afternoon, Zenjirou was walking through the palace alongside Aura after lunch. His cloth shoes had leather soles, but he was far from surefooted, having felt like he was walking on a sponge for some time. His hand was joined with hers under the pretense of offering her support, and the sensation of their intertwined fingers was the only reason he was keeping his cool.

She seemed to understand his feelings and would periodically tighten her grip to encourage him. He was grateful for that, but it still felt a little pathetic.

I can’t exactly avoid feeling nervous in this situation, though. The last time I felt this anxious was when they first gave me the lead on a contract, he told himself reflexively.

His responsibilities were far less intense now than back then, but the context made everything much heavier. If he could, he’d have taken some deep breaths to calm himself down. If he had been alone apart from Aura, he would have doubtlessly done so. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Inner sanctum of the royal palace or not, the queen and prince consort were not left unattended.

Accompanying the pair were four guards in front of them and four more behind them to make eight in total. The men were equipped with white leather armor and ostentatiously-adorned short spears. They looked more ceremonial than combat-capable, but the armors’ defensive attributes and the spear tips’ sharpness were no lie.

Seeing the glint on the spearheads made Zenjirou gulp as a shiver ran down his back. Intellectually, he was aware that they were there to protect him, but he couldn’t relax while surrounded by people equipped to kill others.

In fairness, I guess it’s an insanely small number of guards when you consider our positions...

If they had not been inside the palace and Zenjirou had instead been moving around outside their private walls, he would have had ten times as much protection. In fact, while acting as Aura’s proxy, he’d been given five times as many guards even within the palace proper.

While he was preoccupied with these thoughts, the soldiers in front of them came to a halt in front of a door. The front row stood at attention, two on either side, with their spears held vertically.

Zenjirou and Aura stopped as well. Behind this door waited the envoy from the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle. Zenjirou naturally turned to his wife and their eyes met in the silence before she gave a slight nod. He returned the motion and, restraining the urge to open the door himself, spoke to the guards on either side of it.

“Open it.”

“Yes, sir!” one of them answered, carrying out his order.

Zenjirou took a careful breath to make sure that no one picked up on his nervousness, then entered with a purposefully slow pace.

“It is a great honor to meet you, Sir Zenjirou. I am a diplomat from the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle, and my name is Mareno Militello. I appreciate the opportunity to make your acquaintance.”

Zenjirou gave a calm nod at the middle-aged man across the table from him, replying from his own chair, “I am Zenjirou, husband to the monarch of Capua, Queen Aura.”

This was how he always introduced himself, emphasizing that he was here not as an individual royal but as the queen’s spouse. Regardless of whether the envoy across from him realized this or not, he gave a slight chuckle with a deferential expression on his face as he offered a bow.

“Now, my husband having been introduced, let us move on to the main topic,” Aura prompted. “We are short on time.”

Although she looked somewhat slovenly, leaning back in her chair to keep her stomach out of the way, her words and their tone were clearly those of someone well-accustomed to giving orders.

“At once, Your Majesty,” the diplomat agreed, bowing again, this time to her.

“Hmm,” Aura murmured, placing her chin in her hand, her roundness having started to bother her recently, “shall we begin with our ostensible business, or the business of real importance?”

“Well, let us deal with the public matter first and finish with it quickly. The rings you requested have arrived,” their guest stated, placing two items wrapped in thick purple cloths onto the table. It was a pair, three brilliant-cut diamonds set within gold... Impossible to mistake. They were the wedding rings that Zenjirou had bought back on Earth.

With “normal sight,” they looked much the same as before, but the last year spent training with Octavia meant that he could now see mana, and the rings were shining with it. The light coming from them was insignificant compared to that which emanated from Aura and himself, but this was the first time he had seen such mana surrounding simple inanimate objects.

The public reason for Aura and Zenjirou meeting the Twin Kingdoms’ diplomat together like this was to officially receive the enchanted rings they had requested. Considering Zenjirou usually only left the inner palace when he was acting as the queen’s representative, such an excuse was needed.

As Zenjirou looked on in interest, the envoy smoothly explained the jewelry’s effects. “Her Majesty’s ring has been imbued with an ignite spell, and Sir Zenjirou’s has been imbued with a water creation spell. The ignite spell was performed by Prince Francesco, and the water creation by Princess Margarita.”

Aura was the one to respond. “It is an honor that the prince and princess would both choose to lend their gifts. I shall have a letter of thanks made up for them.”

Both of the royals were famed enchanters, and the country was not foolish enough to take shortcuts in light of the ongoing hidden conflict.

“I shall deliver any such missives,” the visitor replied. Now came the real matter. “As we are pressed for time, I believe we should transition to the core issue at hand. This is the final draft of the treaty. Please look it over, and affix your signatures should it prove satisfactory.” He carefully spread out the drake parchment on the table before them.

The pact may have been a secret, but this was an official document and was therefore made from high-quality parchment. The near-white pale green scroll contrasted starkly with the black ink upon it.

At present, Zenjirou had only the reading comprehension level of a middle-schooler in English, but the characters were so beautifully drawn that even he could see the skill in the writing.

Again, it was Aura who spoke. “Unfortunately, my husband cannot yet read our characters. Read it aloud, if you would.”

“Ah, of course. I shall do so; forgive my rudeness,” he replied, reaching out a finger to point to each clause in turn. “I shall begin.

“Clause one: Zenjirou Capua (Party A) shall henceforth have children with none other than Aura Capua (Party B).

“Clause two: The Twin Kingdoms shall not intercede in the affairs of Party B’s direct descendants.

“Clause three: should the Kingdom of Capua contravene clause one, and Party A has a child with a person other than Party B, the Twin Kingdoms shall have the right to investigate the lineal magic...”

Zenjirou was sitting and straining his ears to avoid missing anything, doing his utmost to keep his expression blank. There was nothing strange in the envoy’s words so far. The slight change in the man’s voice came only towards the end.

“...will pay the Kingdom of Capua three thousand silver pieces...”

This was the end of the contract that Aura had read to him yesterday. However, there was still one more clause beneath the diplomat’s extended finger. The man fell silent for a moment, a muscle jumping in his cheek as he pointed at the final line and read it out loud.

“Supplemental provision: should clauses two and three conflict, clause two will take precedence... That is all.”

It was what Zenjirou had proposed the night before. A resolution to a potential conflict between clauses two and three. Simply put, would the Twin Kingdoms be able to intercede if a descendant of Zenjirou and Aura married a descendant of Zenjirou and a concubine, and then had a child? According to clause two, said child would be of Aura’s lineage, so they would not. However, based on clause three, such a child would be contravening the agreement, in which case the Twin Kingdoms would have a right to step in.

It probably wouldn’t become relevant in their own child’s generation, but such a conflict could theoretically arise among his grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

Zenjirou looked at Aura out of the corner of his eye in surprise, and she answered with a slight smile and a nod. He had brought up several loopholes in the contract, but when he had been informed that the signing would proceed as planned today, he had simply assumed that his views had been disregarded.

Did she spend the morning having this added? No one can compare to my wife.

Zenjirou was once more being taken in by the queen’s dynamism, but Aura was currently having similar thoughts about him. Ordinarily, it would be natural to assume that clause two would take precedence over clause three. However, an obstinate refusal to see it that way—as Zenjirou had mentioned the night before—was certainly possible if they didn’t clearly specify it now.

At the moment, the relationship between their countries was fairly even, and the Twin Kingdoms were unlikely to make such a claim. However, no one knew what the future might hold, and while she didn’t want to consider it, if Capua’s strength ever fell far below that of the Twin Kingdoms, their neighbors could use the third clause to interfere directly with the royal family.

To put it grandly, Zenjirou’s concerns had quite possibly forestalled a future potential attack upon the kingdom. In that case, it was an impressive action on his part. But with the entire matter being classified and Aura having added the clause herself, such an achievement could not be made public.

Yet I shall have to remember it. I shall be the only one to know of his success, and I will not forget it, Aura swore to herself as she dipped the drake bone brush into the inkpot to sign the bottom of the contract.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

It was late evening by the time the couple returned to the inner palace from their meeting. Upon reaching their living room, they immediately stripped out of their finery and changed into comfortable loungewear.

“We can assist you.”

“Please do.”

As one would expect, most of Aura’s clothing had to be put on and removed with the assistance of the maids. The two servants soon had the dress she was wearing off, and then clothed her in something closer to a negligee than a maternity dress, a single piece of thin fabric. Aura, her heavy stomach more than she could deal with, quickly settled onto the sofa.

“Phew...” she sighed deeply, sinking into the soft cushions. The day had exhausted even her. She had spent the morning negotiating the final amendments and the afternoon signing and discussing the final draft.

The queen had been blessed with a strong constitution, and along with her training as a warrior, she had far and away more stamina than an ordinary woman. Even so, the process of finalizing a secret treaty that would determine the path of her kingdom while under the strain of her pregnant body had worn heavily on her.

As reluctant as ever to do anything personal in front of the maids, Zenjirou had meanwhile changed into a T-shirt and jeans in the bedroom and now walked back out to rejoin her.

“Good work today, Aura. Here, I’ll get you some hot chocolate,” he offered.

He added a kettle of boiling water to two tablespoons of cocoa powder in a cup, mixing it well before placing it in front of her. Then he made tea for himself, pouring the hot water over a tea bag in his cup, adding lumps of brown sugar once the color had developed, and then dropped a slice of a sour, lemon-like fruit into the drink. He usually drank his tea straight, but when he was this exhausted, he longed for a sweet and sour taste instead.

“Ah, my thanks,” Aura said, picking up the mug and sipping the sweet and frothy liquid before letting out a satisfied sigh.

Zenjirou would usually settle himself next to her, but they had things to discuss today, so he sat on the sofa across from her instead. The waiting maids bowed as one and left the room out of consideration for his inability to relax while staff was observing.

“So, can we assume this mess with the Twin Kingdoms is done for now?” he asked once he was sure the maids had gone.

Aura returned her mug to the table and nodded. “We can. At least, as long as you take no concubine, the Twin Kingdoms will likely say nothing.”

Zenjirou grimaced slightly at that. “Yeah, I thought that might be the case when I saw the treaty. I guess the nobility here still has issues with me refusing to take a concubine?” He’d suppressed his shame to push the narrative that he was thinking of nothing but Aura, but his efforts may have been in vain.

Aura shook her head at her equally exhausted husband. “Not at all; that too is much reduced at present. It would seem your actions have been effective. Those who would actively push a concubine on you have receded, and they are now focusing on who to send in as a wet nurse for our child instead,” she explained, stroking her stomach gently.

“Then—” Zenjirou began forcefully, but Aura cut him off with a shake of her head.

“No. I understand what you wish to say, but it is impossible. You would do better to abandon such naivete. We would normally be able to have three or four children, after which our future actions would not matter. However, as you are well aware, the only royals currently in this country are you and myself.

“This is an extremely unusual situation for a large kingdom. As a firm example, simply consider the Twin Kingdoms. There are twenty-three members of the Sharou family and eighteen of the Gilbelles.”

Each royal was another wielder of the country’s lineal magic. Having fewer members in your royal line meant possessing less power as a nation. The nobility’s view that the country needed more royalty was something that Aura intellectually agreed with in spite of the emotions involved.

Understanding the logic, but still hesitant to agree, Zenjirou gave an even more stubborn answer. “Uhh... so the two of us will have to get busy, huh?”

Aura couldn’t hide a reluctant smile and look of surprise at the reckless suggestion. She answered with a slightly joking tone and exaggerated shudder. “Are you trying to kill me? How many children are you suggesting I have whilst also leading this country?”

“In my world, there was an archduchess who had fifteen or sixteen children with her husband while managing to lead a large country through a war. She was called an empress.”

“And was she truly human? Are you sure her line held no blood from the ancient dragon races?” Aura frowned, a crease deepening between her eyebrows in doubt upon hearing the story. Even she could not see the tale of Austria’s former leader Maria Theresa as realistic.

“Nah, I doubt it. I think she was probably a regular human, you know?” His knowledge of European history only consisted of what he had learned during high school, so he couldn’t provide many more details, and the conversation fell off there.

Silence filled the room as Zenjirou cast about for a good topic before suddenly remembering the rings in his pocket. “Oh, right. Hey, Aura, give me your left hand?”

It was a blatant change of subject, but Aura knew that the topic of concubines was the one thing he despised, so she followed his lead. She knew that he would eventually concede, even if grudgingly, but putting it off a little longer wouldn’t matter.

“Ah, I see. Give your ring to me first, then; I wish to perform the exchange again,” she said, holding her right hand out, palm up.

“Sure.” He put his own ring on her hand and walked over to her. “Uh, you can stay where you are.” He gestured her back to her seat as she also moved to stand. Kneeling before her, he took her left hand, planning to place the ring on her ring finger.

“Not there. My fingers are currently swollen. Use my little finger.”

“Oh, sure, sorry.”

With her pregnancy, Aura’s hands were markedly thicker. The ring, which should have fit her ring finger perfectly, would not go on.

It was rather undignified, but as Zenjirou leaned forward to put it on her little finger instead, his wife murmured into his ear, “Do you have nothing to say? I was ever so hopeful that I would once more hear the words from that night.”

His movements stopped completely. “That night” was the first they had spent together. After their wedding and the expected duties had been satisfied, he had given her the ring, along with the vows that would usually be stated in answer to a priest’s prompting.

“Zenjirou?”

“Ah, uhm... I... those are words you only use once...”

Aura snorted softly at his embarrassment and sent an exaggeratedly sorrowful gaze his way. “How unfortunate. Despite this second opportunity, I shall never hear them again?”

“Agh, fine, I get it!”

She had clenched her left hand, and he would not be able to place the ring on her finger that way, so he knew he would have to compromise.

“Hahh... phew...” he heaved, pushing out the embarrassment as he spoke in the most serious voice he could manage. “I take thee to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, and with this ring, I do wed thee.”

Still silent, Aura’s expression became a wide grin as she unclenched her left hand. The thick golden ring with three diamonds set into it slid onto her little finger.

A sign of love, and a symbol of a vow. Aura could feel the warmth of her husband from the cold sensation of the gold against her skin. She looked down at it for a while before smiling lovingly and facing him as he knelt, speaking quietly. “Zenjirou, stand up.”

“Huh?”

“Stand up.”

“S-Sure.”

He had been kneeling in front of the sofa and looking up at her, and despite his confusion, quickly stood up before her. Now, she was looking up at him. Still seated, she softly took his hand and repeated the words of the vow.

“I take thee to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, and with this ring, I do wed thee.”

So saying, she slid the second ring onto his ring finger, their jewelry now a perfect match.

“Aura...” he breathed in surprise, looking down at her in shock.

When she had first received the ring, Aura had not done that part. He had assumed she’d been overcome by surprise in light of the strange custom and simply couldn’t keep up at the time, but that was not the case. It wasn’t that she couldn’t, but that she wouldn’t. She had known that it was a formality, but as queen, she could not allow herself to vow to any man “till death did them part.”

She had been prepared to deal with him in good faith and even to love him. She had intended to grant whatever wishes of his she could. However, the country had to come first, no matter what, and then the royal family, nothing more. If his existence ever proved detrimental to the country, she would cast him aside. That was the basis of her marriage to him at the start.

But now...

I cannot deny my feelings. As long as Zenjirou remains the man he is now, I shall never be able to cast him aside, she realized.

Of course, if Zenjirou lost himself in his status and power, and his personality changed dramatically, that would be another matter. But as long as that did not happen, she was sure that she wouldn’t be able to hand down a cool, formal decree on the matter.

Having placed the ring on his finger, she gently raised both her hands. Understanding her goal, he leaned over his wife, moving carefully downward. Their lips met quietly in Zenjirou’s second—and Aura’s first—“kiss to seal their vow.”

The kiss went on for perhaps slightly too long to be called only that, however.